1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to devices for deterring pests and, more particularly, to a system and method for deterring animals such as birds.
2. Background of the Invention
Various animals such as rodents and/or birds are, in some situations, considered pests that need to be deterred from being in or from a particular area. In view of this, the prior art is replete with devices for deterring or expelling animals from an area. These devices typically utilize a monitoring device such as a motion sensor to actuate a repellent such as a sound or a visual display. The sound or visual display is designed to either evoke panic or fear in the animal or to create an unpleasant sensation in the animal. Animal repellant devices of the prior art typically rely upon periodic generation of noises or sounds that thus have the tendency to frighten the animals in order to deter or expel them from the monitored area.
With respect to the sound deterrent/expulsion devices, most of these devices utilize sound waves having frequencies that are considered offensive to the animal, such as ultrasonic frequencies which are at frequencies that are above the range of human hearing. The offensive sounds thus drive off the animal from the affected area. Typically, animal deterrent systems incorporating an ultrasonic deterrent utilize a single frequency. While the selected frequency is chosen to have a deterrent effect, the constant frequency can fail to get the attention of the animal. Furthermore, the use of a single frequency does not contemplate variations in the hearing capabilities of the animals, potentially limiting the effectiveness of the animal deterrent system. As such, prior art devices have been developed that generate varying-frequency ultrasonic emissions.
Other prior art animal repellent/expulsion devices utilize different tactics. For instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,208,787 low frequency vibrations are used to induce animals to leave a particular area. Indirect structure coupling of the vibrations to buildings, earth ground rods, and water/gas pipes carrying the vibrations. The vibrations, however, do not produce audible noises in or from the structure to which it is attached.
Still other prior art animal repellant/expulsion systems use ultrasonic, supersonic, microwave, screeching and/or oscillated screeching with limited success (see e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,284,845; 4,658,386; 4,965,522; 5,208,787; 5,214,411; 6,016,100 and 6,250,255). Additionally, these sounds are also annoying or undesirable to humans in the area of intended animal eradication. This can lead to human interference in defeating an installed system.
It is noted that most, if not all, of the prior art animal repellant devices such as have been described above do not produce audible noises from the structure, but rather from audio devices or files. Furthermore, such prior art devices are not designed to specifically repel, expel or prevent animals such as birds from landing on or nesting upon certain outdoor structures. Outdoor structures such as oil refineries, chemical plants, electrical substations and the like that have components or equipment that are open to animal and/or bird infestation are easily susceptible to damage from such animal and/or bird infestation. Still further, these animal repellant/expulsion device are not computer controlled and therefore lack the ability to allow a user to manipulate the system and/or alter the parameters thereof.
Moreover, the prior art animal repellant/expulsion devices are discrete systems that cannot take advantage of current computer capabilities. As such, prior art animal repellant/expulsion devices do not provide for easy modification of system parameters, if at all.
What is therefore needed in view of the above is a computer implemented bird repellant/expulsion system.
What is therefore further needed in view of the above is a computer implemented bird repellant/expulsion system that allows easy modification of system parameters.
What is therefore still further needed in view of the above is a bird repellant and/or expulsion system for use with outdoor structures.
What is therefore also needed in view of the above is a bird repellant and/or expulsion system that is operable to generate a deterrent noise from an outdoor structure.